Erasure
by laharl
Summary: Fundamentally a SyaoranSakura fiction I wrote quite a while ago having just finished the manga series and going through 'a phase'. I doubt I'll finish this- unless lots of caring, wonderful people review it kindly- but I had fun writing such a self-indul
1. Default Chapter

Cold wind rushed past his face, causing his glossy chestnut hair to graze past him like knives. Time seemed to still, a heavy, almost relaxing sensation creeping up his paralysed limbs like a serpent slithering in for the kill. His mind flashed, the pain ricocheting out from his back to his chest momentarily forgotten in the vacuum of the world's suspended animation.   
  
Syaoran wondered if, before tonight, he could have made a difference. Perhaps, had he told Sakura his true feelings before now things wouldn't have transpired as they did. He dreamt of the past, visions of the beautiful young girl blending together and streaming through his head as the air coursed over his freezing body.   
  
He wished to turn back the clock, to rewrite history, and protect both of them- no, all of them- from this. Eyes closing, a rueful smile of defeat graced his pale lips, a final majestic gesture of failure. Then pained eyelids shut and shrouded amber eyes for the last time.   
  
If only he had told her before she had told that boy.   
  
If only he hadn't wasted so much time.   
  
If only she had chosen him. 


	2. Mode

Sakura rushed to the side of the concrete tower, rosy wand dropping from startled hand as her gloved hands gripped the edge of the building in utter terror. She felt the hollow scream escape her lips as she stared horrified down at the diminishing picture of the boy falling towards the dark road beneath and the hooded figure smiling there, smirking teeth reflecting the tranquil moonlight in a terrible shining grin.   
  
'Syaoran!' she called, reaching out uselessly and teetering dangerously off the edge of the tower. The falling boy did not respond, flapping green robes fading fast into the darkness. Her heart knocked against her frightened chest as she reached further and further off the side...  
  
As she felt the smothering grip of gravity gain hold of her, a pair of soft hands clasped tightly around her right arm, pulling her backwards to the safety of the rooftop. With a strangled cry of desperation, she fought back against their grasp, tears escaping from her anguished eyes as she screamed her partner's name uselessly into the night. But more hands grabbed her struggling form and held her back until she sank trembling into her saviour's arms.   
  
Looking impassively down at the shaking girl he held, Yue's violet eyes flickered quickly up to meet the anxious golden gaze of his fellow Guardian. He stared silently at him, tacitly keeping his face devoid of any emotion and ignoring the frantic whispers of their other young companion by his side as his elegant white hands held his shivering mistress.   
  
The giant bronze griffon seemed about to say something, but closed his powerful jaws instead and turned swiftly to peer down off the tower to the dark silent street below. But he need not have done so, for at that very moment the cloaked figure, before standing calmly below the plummeting Reed descendant, now flashed up before them, hovering just out of reach of the roof top, cradling the slumped form of Syaoran almost tenderly in his midnight arms.   
  
The second girl let out a shriek, looking momentarily up from Sakura's wide eyes. Letting out a ferocious roar, Kero spread his glittering wings and charged towards the boy, but the hovering captor merely held out a faultless white palm and a blast of concentrated energy pushed him roughly back to the shadowed concrete of the building. He fell heavily against the floor, but shook his head to clear his dizzy mind and was back on his four paws almost instantly. He was about to attack again when the child said softly  
  
'You won't achieve anything, Kerberos. Save your strength,' His voice was icily commanding, and the griffon could do nothing but obey his unvoiced order. Dark eyes narrowed as he smiled once more, perfect teeth set in an eerie, unearthly smile.   
  
'What do you want with Syaoran?' questioned the long-haired girl at Yue's side, eyes almost begging him to set his captor back on the rooftop. 'What has he ever done to you?'  
  
The boy's eyes shifted lazily to meet her deep purple ones. 'You've got quite the wrong idea, Tomoyo,' he replied smoothly. 'He hasn't done anything yet.'  
  
Furious and full of questions though she was, something in the voice's timbre compelled her to swallow her angry retort and merely watch the spectacle in silence. She turned back to Sakura, anger tinting her light cheeks with a pink hue. Her friend's eyes were wide, and staring unwaveringly at the inert boy held in the magician's arms. Noticing this, the hooded boy turned to her and moved his arms slightly, allowing Syaoran's blood-spattered, vulnerable face to loll towards her. 'Don't try to follow us, Cardcaptor. Or there will be more blood for you to lie in, do you understand? And it will be all from him, and all your doing.'   
  
As if in a dream, Sakura found herself sliding her distant gaze down from Syaoran and his captor to the ground on which she lay. It was only then that she noticed the thick dampness that was spreading slowly over her light pink costume, and had already stained Yue's pure white robes a dark scarlet. Her innocent eyes filled with new tears as she raised her blood-covered hand to her lips, and opened her mouth in a silent terrified scream.  
  
With a triumphant bow, the boy flew off into the night sky, dark mantle floating over the bright airy green of Syaoran's ceremonial robe. All four companions stared after them, silent in shock, until a bright light suddenly engulfed the Guardians. Slumping over Sakura as they battled against the feeling rising inside them, feathers shrouded them as they changed back into their temporary forms, and lay lying exhausted in the ever-widening pool of blood, the griffon changed into a small toy-like bear and Yue transformed into the lovable human form of Yukito, who now lay asleep with clean glasses lying a few feet from his shut eyelids.   
  
A breeze blew the few wisps of cloud across the moon, and there was silence.

* * *

The sickening sound of the missiles piercing Syaoran's green-garbed back was what woke Sakura from her uneasy sleep, a lone tear of fear escaping her tightly closed eyelids. She huddled deep into her bedclothes, drawing the comfortless blankets closer around her and sinking into her warm cocoon, trying uselessly to ward off the dreams. Her grieving sobs wracked her body, causing the entire mess of girl, duvet and sheets to shake softly in time to her tears.   
  
The event replayed constantly in her head, like a stuck record that could not be changed. The vision of Syaoran rushing towards her, panic-stricken, was played clearly in her head, a vision of terrible inevitability that she shuddered at the mere memory of. Then came the shock of being pushed down to the hard roof, but the reminiscence of his face as the throbbing darts struck his back was what kept stirring her into consciousness. After that, it became a blur, the images failing to run in order as the choking disbelief disconnected her brain. She buried her face in her pillow.  
  
He had sacrificed himself for her. He had even bitten back the scream that must have been his first reaction when the missiles hit just for her. There was no sense in it, it should have been her, but he had given himself instead. Now he was taken by this new enemy, one who seemed to possess immense power judging by his effect on Kero and Yue, who had both been forced back into their temporary forms by just being near him. She prayed Syaoran would appear suddenly before her, smiling and unhurt, but her knew deep within her that her wish could not be granted.   
  
She curled tighter in her bed, clasping her hands around her knees and burying her face in the stifling stuffiness of her lap. She closed her eyes.

* * *

Toya quietly closed the white door to his little sister's room, deep anxious eyes dropping to the wooden floor as the brass latch clicked shut. He was worried about Sakura, as he still had no idea as to what had happened that night on top of the Ashite tower. Neither Tomoyo, Kero or even Yuki had told him what she had been through, silently avoiding his angry gaze if questioned about it at all. All he knew was that something was dreadfully wrong.   
  
Turing round, his eyes instantly lost their brief portrayal of anxiety as they met with the innocent wide eyes of Yuki. He looked at him, and raised an eyebrow sarcastically.   
  
'I don't suppose you'd like to enlighten me further about this little episode, hmm? Dad's coming back on Sunday, I've only got five days to sort this mess out and get everything back to normal.'  
  
Yuki grinned lovingly up at him, shrugging his shoulders apologetically.   
  
'You know I can't remember a thing about when I'm Yue,' he answered simply, following the young man down the carpeted stairs. 'I'm sorry I can't help.'  
  
It was Toya's turn to shrug now, entering the kitchen and pulling out a chair. Sitting down heavily on the seat, he rested his head on a strong palm and looked at Yuki.   
  
'It's okay. It's not your fault, I know. Although I wish somebody would tell me what's wrong with my sister. She's so upset...' Yuki beamed across the table, munching at a biscuit he had found on the table as he did so.   
  
'Aww Toya, you really are a nice caring brother when it comes down to it. And so shy too!'  
  
'Shaddup.'

* * *

A faint ache was what first flooded his thought, a strange ghostly sensation of being apart from his body. He almost felt like, if he turned his head far enough, he would see his physical form lying there below him. But his thoughts were not yet linear enough for him to attempt this feat, and so he lay with his eyes closed for some time, the feeling of numbness gradually spreading with chilly arms over his tender back.   
  
Syaoran cracked open a dry eyelid, and found with confusion that his view was no different when his eyes were closed to when they were open. The same void of blackness yawned out before him, causing his consciousness to dip dangerously and his mind to flit between hallucinations. It was only when he tried to move his right arm to touch his seemingly remote face that the pain arrived.  
  
An agonised sob was torn from his protesting mouth, blood staining his tongue as he bit his lip to bite back a scream. A sharp, stabbing pain was shooting up his back and through his heart to his chest, he could feel his angry pulse thumping against his bloodied chest. Knives gouged carelessly through his torso, and he felt his body begin to shake with the effort of controlling the pain. He screwed up his eyes and tried not to faint, lights dancing mockingly before his eyeballs. His pulse beat angrily inside him, its throb an amplified explosion every time his heart beat. A drop of clear water escaped his eye.   
  
Then, suddenly, he felt something pressing down on his forehead a little. Slowly, oh so slowly, he felt the fire that raged through him and choked his throat slipping out, rising up and up through his injured body to his brow where it flared suddenly, searing pain nearly casting him back into the black abyss from whence he had just woken up, but the gently soothing feeling on his forehead gradually completely eradicated the pain, leaving only the trembling boy and crimson-stained chest to remind Syaoran that he was indeed hurt. Cautiously, carefully he opened his eyes.  
  
'Hello, Li.'  
  
The voice was calm, melodious. And terrifying.   
  
'...Eriol...?' The boy kneeling over him smiled at the mention of his name and nodded encouragingly. His polished glasses shone briefly as they reflected light from the dim lamp overhead, and Syaoran pushed himself up roughly, breathing heavily.   
  
'I'm glad you can remember my name, Li,' Eriol beamed. 'At least now I know that I made an impression on you.' Syaoran ignored the remark, staring unseeingly at the dusty ground before him. His pale hands stroked the bloodstained dressing wound carefully around his bared chest and back, his shirt having apparently been stripped from him. He felt warm liquid well up through the bandages, and shook his head to clear his thoughts.   
  
'But... but why.. isn't there any pain?' he stammered eventually, looking wearily up at the sable-haired boy beside him. Coolly the child tossed his head and pushed his glasses further up his nose.   
  
'Well, I couldn't have my only relation lying here in agony, could I? So courtesy of Clow Reed, in this room only your nerves have stopped working properly. This essentially eradicates the pain, although you'll still feel exhausted. Mind you, if you try and escape and get past that door-' here he pointed meaningfully at a heavy-looking wooden entrance that seemed somehow very far away, '-the spell will break, and your nervous system will be back in full force. Do you understand?' Looking straight into his eyes, Syaoran nodded dumbly, feeling like he was in a nasty dream.  
  
'Now you should try and get some rest. Sakura will be worried about you, you know.' That shattered his trance. The mention of her name sent memories flooding back through his mind, and he felt the all too familiar anger swell uncontrollably inside him. His unconsciously slumped head jerked upwards and in his chocolate eyes there burned a new, stronger flame.   
  
'What happened to Sakura?'  
  
'Oh, thanks to your hereditary heroism she's quite safe, though I didn't really expect this turn of events. Oh well, I guess this just makes it more interesting.'  
  
'Why did you try to shoot her? What am I doing here? What do you want with her?'  
  
'I don't believe that you're quite up to strength yet. I think perhaps I shall wait until you are somewhat rested to continue this conversation-'  
  
'Eriol,' interrupted Syaoran, his voice icy with contempt. He pushed himself up until his bare torso was solely supporting his upper body, and met his captor's gaze steadily. 'I'm warning you-'  
  
'Calm down Li, or I'll have to put you back to sleep.' The dark haired boy countered, eyes narrowing. 'You're under my roof, you do as I say. But I will say that it's simply for your own protection. Now sit back and be quiet. Spinel!'  
  
Syaoran felt dizziness encircle his mind and slumped back against the cold stone wall behind him, the shock of stone against unprotected flesh still not enough to rouse him from his stupor. Out of the corner of his half-closed eye he saw a dark, feline figure descend silently from the top corner of the room, and glimpsed a brief vision of Eriol speaking to him, by the reaction of the animal apparently asking him to keep a vigil on their captive. But now the fatigue was really catching up with the boy, and Syaoran found himself slipping to the side, running warm bloodied back against frigid concrete wall, and then... nothing.

* * *

The quiet knock on the door prompted no reaction from the still white bed, sunlight silently streaming in through the lace-edged window onto the Kinomoto's garden. A creak split the summer silence as the bedroom door was pushed quietly open, the chinking of metal on china as sweet as icing but much less appreciated by the inhabitant of the room. Toya sighed, and padded over to his sister's bed.   
  
'Sakura...' he began, placing the tray he had brought in on her white and pink bedside table and placing a large hand on his sibling's forehead. Sakura did not turn to him, lying with her back to him, face half buried in her soft pillow that had so recently been soaked with tears.   
  
The clock on the wall ticked the seconds. 'Sakura... I brought you some warm milk and honey. Your favourite. Please drink it, you haven't come down for anything since last night.'   
  
A quick shuffling of hair and rustle of bedclothes confirmed the expected refusal. He rubbed his hand soothingly across Sakura's forehead, frowning slightly as he eyed his sister. There was something wrong. Something very wrong indeed.   
  
'Dad gets home on Sunday. You only have four days left, you know. Please tell me what happened, and I'll sort it out, I promise you that. Then we'll all be happy, and Dad need never know.'  
  
The clock ticked on. For a moment Sakura half turned towards him and drew in breath to speak, but almost instantly she exhaled again and curled up into a tighter ball. Toya's frown deepened, and he pushed back his chair roughly. Turning to go out of the room, he shrugged and said 'Well, have it your way. Guess I'll have to phone Dad and get him to come home from his conference then.'  
  
A short, smothered gasp proved that his point had hit home. Smiling to himself, he left the milk and honey and retraced his steps to the door, hand reaching out for the shiny handle to pull it open. No sooner had his palm made contact with the flawless metal did a sharp cry call him back to Sakura's bed.  
  
'...Wait!'  
  
He allowed himself one more private grin of success, then straightened his face and turned, brows knitted back together in his habitual look of disapproval and doubt, back to his sister who was now sitting upright in bed.   
  
'Yes?'  
  
'Toya... wait... I'm sorry...'  
  
Returning to the chair, he clasped one of her small hands comfortingly and looked directly into her eyes.   
  
'Don't be Sakura. Just tell me what happened, and I'll fix it. I always have before, right?'  
  
A trickle of tears ran down her cheek as she smiled appreciatively at her older brother. He brushed them away, and handed her the steaming mug of milk.   
  
'Drink up, and tell me everything.'

* * *

Kero lay quietly behind a large toy bear on Sakura's windowsill, listening to the conversation intently. A look of concern was clear on his teddy-like face, his fluffy tail flicking nervously to and fro as he pensively concentrated on the exchange between brother and sister.   
  
'- started when this strange boy in a cloak turned up-'  
  
'- there was this sound like breaking glass-'  
  
'- and I looked down.. and, and....'  
  
The miniature Guardian shuddered inwardly as his own memory graced him with the images of his Mistress's partner falling from the rooftop. His eyebrows twitched slightly as he thought of their new adversary, and his frightening power. He had felt something very strange when he had been near the kidnapper, not a feeling he had experienced since meeting Sakura, in fact. It was the sense of incredible strength.   
  
Sighing, Kero turned over and trotted softly over to the partially opened window. Staring determinedly out of the glass for a moment at the perfect, orderly street outside Sakura's home, he glanced once more at his distressed owner and her helpless brother. Then he turned back and squeezed between the frame and the pane itself, and with a gentle gust of wind he was gone. 


End file.
